When people are at the beach, they may need shelter from the sun or the wind. They may prefer to lie on a surface other than sand. They may wish to enjoy the beach when the sun is shining but the air is cold.
Various rigid and flexible, fixed and portable cabanas have been provided in the prior art to satisfy those requirements. Even the simplest are so large, bulky and awkward that the usual beachgoer cannot carry one to the beach of choice. If there is no commercial cabana rental agency at the chosen beach, the beachgoer must do without or select another beach. Even the commercial cabana rental firms find the cabanas of the prior art bulky to transport and store. In many areas, the beach season is short, and it is uneconomic to provide large storage capacity for a long period when the product is used for only a short period.
The cabanas of the prior art have fixed shelter panels. If the sun or wind shifts the entire structure must be rotated, and there are no provisions for altering the size and location of various sheltering panels to accommodate various changing requirements as sun and wind conditions change.
It would be desirable to provide a beach cabana that knocks down into a small volume for transport and storage and that is readily adaptable to various changing conditions.